Cheshire-based Inspire Group has partnered with new venture Travel Neutral to be one of the first agencies on the start-up’s sustainable travel proposition.
Their partnership has been unveiled on Earth Day (April 22), an annual global event to highlight the climate crisis and need for environmental protection.
Travel Neutral is a new website which offers subscribers weekly email newsletters that showcase carbon-neutral holiday deals.
The website has been launched by Carla Laidler, who has worked in the travel industry for brands such as Low Cost Holidays, Planet Cruise and Imagine Cruising.
As well as featuring sustainable holiday deals for consumers, the venture offers tour operators and travel agents a distribution channel that specialises in this market.
Laidler has been laying the foundations for the venture over the past year, working with a consumer website to build a database of 85,000 subscribers for the sustainable travel deals.
When the database was surveyed, 98% of subscribers said they would take at least one international holiday in 2022, and 40% are looking to take two or more holidays this year.
Lisa Henning (pictured), managing director at The Inspire Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with Travel Neutral on this ground-breaking initiative, which represents the first step in our sustainable travel journey.
“We realise only too well that there is a growing number of consumers who are looking to offset their carbon footprint when going on holiday and we want to be at the forefront of providing this service.”
Laidler added: “Going on holiday need not cost the earth, literally, and we hope that – following Inspire’s lead – other travel companies will be encouraged to join us on our journey and consider giving consumers the option to offset their carbon footprint within the cost of their holiday.
“There is increasing pressure on the UK travel industry to offer planet-conscious consumers sustainable travel opportunities, and right now there isn’t a dedicated brand that can do this.
“The holidays that we will market through our website and subscriber-based newsletter will offer only carbon-neutral holidays to top travel destinations, from trusted travel agents and operators.”
Travel Neutral aims to achieving 100% carbon neutrality through its own work and through its advertised products.
Travel agents will be able to create packages and calculate the carbon footprint of flights, hotels, cruises, trains and more, using a calculator and service provided by Travel Neutral’s partner CarbonITe.
Offsetting revenues will be used to fund carbon-neutralising projects around the world such as tree planting schemes.
